Injury-hit Jags forced to field sick keeper
STRATHSPEY Thistle manager Brian Ritchie was again left cursing his luck as the Jags injury crisis struck again on Saturday in their 3-1 defeat.
Goalkeeper Paul Robertson had been named as the number one on the team sheet but the stopper complained of being ill during the warm-up.
He was replaced by Andis Klarkins and named as a substitute as a precaution.
However, an injury to Klarkins meant that Robertson had to be pitched in for the second half of the 3-1 home defeat.
Ritchie explained: "We were down to the bare bones once again and not helped by the unfortunate incidents with our goalkeepers.
"From the pool of players we had at the start of the season, we had 14 players out.
"These guys won't play again this season.
Ritchie said that Formartine had deserved their victory but there were again positives for him to take away from the match.
He said: "Matty Bobrowski scored another fantastic bicycle kick. He doesn't score simple, six-yard tap in goals.
"But unfortunately we went to sleep again.
"We did get five or six chances but we never took the right options."
He added: "Bobby Mann was always in the right place at the right time for them. I had five teenagers playing against him including Josh Peters, who is only 15 years old."
Peters, from Aviemore, was on the books of Caley Jags before they let him go last summer but he is already making his mark at Thistle despite his tender age.
Ritchie said: "It was a great experience for Peters and the other young lads and also seeing Pele Paterson (ex-Aberdeen boss) on the sidelines."